Russell leads the free practice in Abu Dhabi with Alonso close
The final preparation round for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concludes with George Russell setting the pace reference. The Mercedes driver dominates the session at the Yas Marina circuit, while Fernando Alonso shows an excellent pace to finish less than a tenth behind. 🏁
Mercedes and Aston Martin show great potential
Russell achieves a time of 1:23.543 on soft tires, setting the benchmark pace. Fernando Alonso responds strongly, placing his Aston Martin in second position and confirming that the car works well on this track. Behind them, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz complete the top of the timesheet. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton appear further back, but without chasing a definitive lap time in this working session. 🔧
Session highlights:- George Russell (Mercedes): 1:23.543 - Session leader.
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): +0.068s - Meritorious second place.
- Lando Norris (McLaren): Third, showing good pace.
The session serves for the teams to adjust their cars ahead of qualifying.
A quiet session to gather data
The practice runs without incidents, allowing all teams to complete their programs. The main focus is simulating race conditions, testing setups and fuel levels. Charles Leclerc and Sergio Pérez finish seventh and eighth, respectively. Attention now shifts entirely to qualifying, where true performance will be revealed. 📊
Other drivers in the classification:- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): Seventh on the timesheet.
- Sergio Pérez (Red Bull): Occupies eighth position.
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): Sixth, without pushing the car's limit.
All set for the fight for pole
With free practice concluded, the stage is set for qualifying. Teams analyze the collected data to optimize their cars in the hunt for pole position. As the Abu Dhabi sun sets over Yas Marina, some drivers aim to end the year on a high note, while others just want to start their vacations. The true hierarchy will be defined on the track. 🏎️💨